


Forget Me Not

by cryptidturtle, Darkwing_DuckFuck



Category: Darkwing Duck (Cartoon 1991)
Genre: Blood Loss, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episode: s03e06 The Frequency Fiends, Episode: s03e10 Clash Reunion, Gay, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Memory Loss, Mutually Unrequited, Old Men In Love, Pre-Relationship, Reminiscing, Serious Injuries, Team Up, based on the headcanon drake and elmo were best friends growing up, but for now take this rp i did with a friend, darkvolt, i might make a long fic with them later, listen listen liten, mentions: - Freeform, says me, the lesbian, these guys are lesbian approved, this ship is so good
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-16
Updated: 2019-05-16
Packaged: 2020-03-06 05:54:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18844981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cryptidturtle/pseuds/cryptidturtle, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darkwing_DuckFuck/pseuds/Darkwing_DuckFuck
Summary: When Megavolt's aid is Darkwing's only hope of survival, the two are forced to spend an uncomfortably long amount of time with one another. Megavolt ponders over his past, and Darkwing finds an old friend he was afraid he had lost.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> SO LIKE clash reunion had so much potential and i, a filthy piece of shit that i am, infected my friend's brain with Drake and Elmo childhood friends headcanons which then developed into getting him into Darkvolt as a ship so we did a role play that came out so gODDAMN good i had to post it. obvi i edited it to make it more readable ya know but ya   
> go get the tissues bitches yall gonna need them lmao

Darkwing Duck breathed heavily, watching with narrowed eyes as Steelbeak's helicopter flew into the cover of clouds, obscuring it from his view. He'd attempted to grapple onto the helicopter and pursue but it gained altitude far too quickly and was out of range before the hook could reach.  _ Damn it. _ _   
_

Aside from his failure to apprehend Steelbeak, the mission had been a success. He'd traveled out to the Badlands to investigate an electromagnet device FOWL was reportedly building.  _ Jeez, what is with evil organizations making bases in the middle of nowhere? _ He managed to infiltrate the base undetected up until he reached the machine. Then there was the firefight with a horde of FOWL Eggmen and Steelbeak- actually, now that thinks about it Megavolt might've been there too? His memory is kinda fuzzy on the events after the whole destroying the device and getting caught in the explosion that followed. All Darkwing could remember was his side hurt like hell despite the adrenaline in his system and Steelbeak was making his escape- so he forced himself up and gave chase.   


So that leaves Darkwing here. Staring up at the sky where the helicopter vanished, his knees... feeling weak. His ears still ringing from being so close to the device when he slapped that  _ thing _ Dr. Bellum made that was supposed to disable it onto the device.  _ Maybe warn a guy next time something you made is going to make a big hunk of junk explode??  _ Whatever. He's fine. It's fine. Mission successful, just gotta head back to HQ.

The adrenaline was starting to leave him now and -oh boy does he feel woozy. Suddenly the waves of pain coming from his side feels a _lot_ more intense. A cough wracks him- probably smoke inhalation- and the motion forces an agonized noise from his throat. _Ow._ Instinctively, Darkwing pressed his hand closer to his side. _Since when did I put my hand there?- Y'know this might be a good time to look and see if how banged up I am._ He hadn't gotten a good look at himself since the explosion. His gaze traveled downwards, giving himself a once-over. His coat hadn't fared very well, torn up- probably from the debris. He halted abruptly as he came to the wound on his side.  
"Oh that's not good," Darkwing found himself speaking aloud, gazing at the hunk of metal embedded in his side.

Darkwing examined the grievous wound on his side. Thankfully the metal stuck in him was keeping him from bleeding out, although he was steadily losing blood, judging from the spike of agony that shot up him as his hand pressed too tightly there was definitely some internal damage.    


A few feet or so away Megavolt was still on the ground. He was doing his best to force the ringing out of his ears. Thankfully the worst on him was some of his fur had gotten a bit singed and he was knocked on his ass from the force. Other than that he was fine. He quickly got to his feet and looked around for the helicopter that was  _ supposed  _ to take him back into the city. And yet there was no copter in sight. 

Megavolt was pissed. They left him! His device exploded like a goddamn eruption and then they  _ left him _ ! He was gonna have to walk home again. He let out a groan and turned to start his long walk. He saw something- no someone out the corner of his eye. Was that? "Darkwing Duck?" He hissed out. He could have sworn the masked Mallard had run after Stealbeak.

Darkwing whipped around at the sound of Megavolt's voice, his vision blurring at the sudden motion as he resisted the urge to stumble. He pulled the remnants of his cape forward, obscuring his wound so Megavolt wouldn't see.    


"Oh Elm-  _ Megavolt.  _ Right.. you're still here. This is kind of a bad time- can I arrest you later?" His voice was tight and purposefully casual because who knows what his foe might do if he finds out how injured he is.

"Yeah no," Megavolt hissed out and crossed his arms. He noticed a small patch of fur smoking still. He used his fingers to put out the small flame. His tail swayed over the ground behind him. He was watching Darkwing. He was confused why the other didn't attack right away but still kept his guard up.

_ This isn't good,  _ Darkwing thought to himself, _ I'm in no shape to fight Megavolt. _ Darkwing laughed weakly before cutting himself off with a grimace, "Yeah. That's- that's fair.." He kept his free arm raised slightly to defend himself and took a step backward, not taking his eyes off Megavolt.  _ Where did I park the Ratcatcher? _

Megavolt squinted at the other. Why was his stance like that? It was less brash and open. "Are you.. injured from the blast?"

_ Shit. Shit. Shitshitshit. _ Darkwing schooled his expression, "Nope. Darkwing Duck doesn't  _ get _ injured- Don't know why you thought that." The fake bravado only worked so well as he took another step backward and his beak scrunched up at the painful jolt that accompanied the motion.

Now Megavolt was a villain. He has accepted that title long ago. And Darkwing Duck was definitely not his favorite person in the world. But Megavolt had never been one for death. It was messy and unnecessary most of the time. Sure sometimes he got a bit wild with his electricity but he never aimed to kill. He grimaced at Darkwing's reaction to the pain he knew that if the other was making this much fuss he must be seriously hurt. "You're not like d-dying are you?" He couldn't help the worry that fell into his voice.

Darkwing faltered at the concerned tone in Megavolt's voice, pausing his weak attempt at a retreat. His vision was growing hazy again and he blinked rapidly to dispel it.   
"I'm fine- probably. Maybe." Darkwing was looking a bit pale under his feathers but he forced himself to retain his composure, "... I'm not in danger of bleeding out yet. Just.. a bit banged up and could probably benefit from a trip to the hospital."

Megavolt stepped closer to try and get a better look at the other. "Do you uh d-do you need help?" He asked. His hands started to wring themselves.

Darkwing instinctively stumbled backward a step as Megavolt approached, unsteady on his feet. The movement forced a pained hiss from him, he squeezed his eyes shut attempting to keep his expression from conveying how much it hurt.   


"N-nope I'm fine... Just, need to find the Ratcatcher.." He said hoarsely.

Megavolt frowned. "It's kinda insulting that after all these years you don't trust me at least a little bit." He rolled his eyes. "Also they left me here so I could uh I could use a ride back into town. And you don't look like you're fit to drive anywhere," he pointed out.

"-Sorry. Knee-jerk reaction." Darkwing replied, forcing his eyes back open to regard Megavolt. He hesitated for a moment, Megavolt made a good point, he didn't really have any other option aside from try and operate the Ratcatcher himself and possibly crash it. Besides what's to stop Megavolt from just taking the keys from him if he didn't agree? The hand pressed to his side hidden under his cape felt slick with blood, another reminder of how bad of shape he was in.   


Darkwing swallowed thickly before nodding, ".. Fair point. Then I suppose we have a truce."

Megavolt walked closer to the other to actually be able to look him over. Darkwing forced himself not to tense at the close proximity, hey can you blame him? He's injured and a very paranoid person. 

"H-how close were you to the blast??" Megavolt asked worriedly when he saw all the scraps and such.   


Darkwing winced, "Pretty close. As in, maybe four or five feet away... My primary concern is the chunk of debris embedded in my side." With that, he lifted his cape momentarily for Megavolt to see the damage before dropping it back in place.

"Jesus Christ man," he hissed. "Oh jeez is there uh something I uh can do to help or should I just get your to your bike or uh," he was starting to freak out. He wasn't good at this.

Darkwing shook his head trying to dispel the fuzziness that seemed to cloud his thoughts, "Right. Um.. 'need to staunch the blood flow- a blessing in disguise that the thing's stuck so deep because right now its the only thing keeping me from bleeding out. Although I'm still bleeding- albite slowly."   


He unclipped his cape, "This is going to be a nightmare to dry clean but just tie it in place over the wound."

"R-right," Megavolt took the cape and worked to tie it around the other. Darkwing removed his hand pressed to his side so Megavolt could tie the cape. Megavolt looked up at Darkwing to make sure the tie wasn't too tight. This close he could almost swear he looked familiar. Not in a Darkwing kinda way.. it was probably just his memory acting up. He shook the thought away.

Darkwing kept still, averting his eyes to avoid the reminder of how close his temporary ally was.  _... I can't remember the last time we were this close without trying to maim each other. Maybe highs- Not the time. Definitely not the time. _ He awkwardly cleared his throat before nodding, yes the tie was fine, "..Thanks."

Megavolt nodded. He looked around. "Where is your bike thing anyway?" He asked.

Darkwing squinted in the distance, his memory of the exact location was a bit.. hazy. He fished out his keys and clicked a button. A good few dozen yards away, outside the fence marking the FOWL base as private property, the Ratcatcher beeped. He wordlessly pointed in that direction.

Megavolt looked over towards it. There was no way Darkwing was going to be able to walk himself. He could barely stand as is. "Should I uh carry you to it? I uh don't think you can walk you look like you're gonna p-pass out."

Darkwing rubbed at his temples with one hand, this was  _ humiliating _ . He knew he wouldn't be able to walk that far, every time he took a step he felt a dizzying jolt of pain. He let out a huff of frustration, "...I suppose. If you let me lean on you so I'm not putting too much weight on my injured side I can probably walk."

Megavolt nodded. Why did he feel so nervous? It was dumb of him to feel awkward. Though this whole situation was strange in honesty.

Darkwing hesitated for a moment before shaking his head exasperated at himself and put an arm around Megavolt to support his weight.  _ Don't make it weird, Dipwing. Don't make it weird. _

Megavolt held onto the other and helped him towards the bike. Darkwing leaned against Megavolt, gritting his teeth to distract himself from the effort and sharp ache that came with walking. It was difficult but bearable with Megavolt supporting his weight, besides his pride had already suffered enough he didn't want to think about the embarrassment that'd follow Megavolt carrying him. 

As they walked a thought popped in Megavolt’s head. "W-wait am I actually taking you to a hospital cause uh I-I mean the whole like vigilante and villain thing..."

Darkwing abruptly stopped as the other spoke, the realization finally hitting him that he couldn't just walk into a hospital and he couldn't take off his costume. Darkwing cursed under his breath, "Okay- okay new plan. When we get close enough that my phone has service I call Launchpad."

Megavolt nodded. That was a better plan. He was all for helping Darkwing not die but getting arrested by a hospital cop was not on his to-do list.

The fact it had taken Darkwing so long to realize worried him,  _ I'm more out of it than I thought. _ Darkwing forced himself to take another step forward, ignoring the way his knees buckled.  _ Just a dozen or so more yards, no biggie. _ His vision was starting to blur around the edges, he shook his head attempting to dispel the dizziness.

Megavolt paused in their walking to get a better hold on the other. "A-are you sure you can walk??"

Darkwing inhaled sharply at the pain radiating from his side before nodding, " 'm fine. Just... a little woozy is all."

Megavolt didn't really believe him but for now, he just kept walking and holding onto the other.

_ Okay. Growing slightly more painful as I go on. Great- it's fine I got it. _ Darkwing began to lean more heavily on Megavolt. Each step sent a jolt of pain up his body and with the blood leaking into his cape he was getting dizzier as he walked. After a few minutes of silence, his legs abruptly failed to support his weight, were it not for Megavolt's arm around him he would've tumbled to the ground. Megavolt grabbed the other tighter when he felt his sudden weight. 

"Shit-" Megavolt hissed. He tried to pull the other back up some more. "I told you so," he mumbled.

Darkwing let out a pained hiss, partially of frustration. This was so embarrassing. He forced himself to stand when Megavolt pulled him back up, wobbling as he blinked the static out of his vision.   


"It's... fine- I just... need a-" Darkwing cut himself off with a huff,  _ no point in arguing anymore _ , "... Clearly, I can't walk on my own any further, assisted or not."

Well, guess that left only one option. With a huff, Megavolt put an arm under Darkwing's legs and lifted him up to carry the other. Jesus, he hoped none of the others see this shit. His tail was swinging across the floor in nervousness.

Darkwing instinctively tightened his hold on Megavolt as he was lifted. He averted his gaze, training it on the ground ahead of them as to not acknowledge how his pride was suffering. He breathed a quiet sigh of relief as the throbbing coming from his wound faded to a somewhat manageable level.

Megavolt definitely wasn't the strongest so he kept his walking slow and steady as not to jostle or even drop the other. His tail helping to keep his balance behind him as he stepped. "Don't make this a habit," he grumbled.

For once Darkwing was grateful for his short stature, he had a feeling his injury wouldn't take kindly to him being dropped. He snorted at Megavolt's reply, "Trust me. I don't plan on it," he retorted.

There it was again. That strange sense of familiarity. Megavolt had no idea where it was coming from. Either way, the frustration in his mind caused his body to charge up a bit and send out a soft shock. Nothing big more like one of those prank shockers. Megavolt didn't even really feel it.

Darkwing tensed as his feathers fluffed up slightly from the mild shock. Nothing painful, just slightly uncomfortable as he is reminded of their close proximity. "Please be careful with your powers considering I have a hunk of conductive metal in my side."

"Huh?" Megavolt looked down at the other. "O-oh sorry it's uh mostly involuntary."

Darkwing resisted the urge to shift as Megavolt looked down at him, it'd only jostle the injury.   


"It's fine, just keep it in mind," He muttered.

Megavolt stayed silent for a moment. "Has this happened before?" It came out before he could stop himself.

Darkwing blinked at the question, completely unprepared and a little confused on what the other meant.   


"What? I mean, Not this particular situation, no, but I get banged up pretty often."

"Uh, n-no I mean like me helping you or something? My memory's n-not good. And I uh it’s probably nothing.."

Darkwing swallowed thickly, "Ah, there was that one time when Gos- the kid who follows me on a lot of my cases was cloned into those three different frequencies... but, um, other than that, no." He averted his gaze pretending to look interested in the ground, not trusting his ability to mask his expression in his injured state.

Megavolt noded. "I think I remember that but... I don't think I uh... carried you or anything." Maybe he should stop talking. He was starting to sound like an idiot. Or like Quackerjack.

Darkwing blinked and before he could think not to he spoke, "You remember carrying me?" He was certain Elmo had carried him a few times growing up- was Megavolt recalling that? Did Megavolt recognize him??

"Uh..." be honest or act dumb. "I um I don't know?" Be honest and dumb good compromise idiot. "It's just... familiar? Like déjà vu but... not?"

Darkwing was starting to feel like the grievous wound in his side was the least of his problems. He didn't know what to say and he probably wouldn't know even if his head  _ wasn't _ clouded from blood loss. He'd seen Megavolt struggle with his memory before, just... never pertaining to Drake Mallard aside from what happened at the reunion. It made his chest ache in a strange way. He found his voice again but his mind was still blank, "...I see."

"I-it's probably nothing," Megavolt shook his head and kept walking. He worked to ignore the nagging in the back of his mind.

That urge Darkwing's had since discovering Megavolt's identity leading up to the reunion was back. The desire to just  _ talk _ to him as Elmo. He opened his mouth before his senses got the better of him and he wordlessly shut it.  _ I can't do that. I know I can't do that. My brain's just fuzzy right now. That's all. _ _   
_

"R-right." He let them lapse into silence, his gaze directed at the Ratcatcher in the distance.

Megavolt bit his lip. Was Darkwing acting weird or was that the blood loss? He wasn't sure. But... if there was even a chance... "Would you... happen to know anything about my uh c-civilian identity?"

Darkwing's eyes widened, and in surprise, he lurched forward in Megavolt's arms. Immediately a shock of pain followed the movement, forcing a grimace out of him. He attempted to downplay his reaction, what does he even say without making himself look more suspicious? Instead, all that came out was a confused, " _ What? _ "

"HUH? UH NO NEVER MIND!" ABORT MISSION THIS WAS DUMB. Megavolt had no idea WHY he did that! Something about the familiarity made him feel comfortable but it was too comfortable and now he was being an idiot!

Maybe it was the pain in Darkwing’s side leaving him disoriented or the fact this is the first time since the reunion they've had a conversation that wasn't quips and threats. But Darkwing found himself awkwardly coughing- which  _ ow _ didn't feel great- "No it's fine I just... Why are you asking?"

Megavolt kept silent for a moment. "I just.. I thought maybe you knew something."

Darkwing couldn't articulate why he was doing this, and he knew when he regained his senses he'd be furious at himself. And yet. "...Why would you think I'd know something about that..?"  _ Way to keep the suspicious tone out of your voice, Dorkwing. _

"You're actin' all weird," Megavolt mumbled. Though maybe he was wrong. Maybe he was getting his hopes up too high.

"Need I remind you I'm literally impaled?" Darkwing let out a huff, rubbing at his forehead with the arm he wasn't using to hold onto Megavolt. He averted his eyes, "...What if I did?"  _ know something about that. _

"Would you tell me?" Megavolt asked. It came out before he could think. Just the idea of knowing something made him speak somewhat impulsively.

Darkwing's brow furrowed as if confused by the questions being asked, he halted and blinked as he came to a... worrying realization. "Are you-... Are you saying you don't remember?" His voice came out quiet with disbelief with concern laced in it.

"W-what?" Megavolt stammered. "Of course not!" He hissed. But it was very clearly a lie the way his body tensed and his eyes looked away.

Darkwing froze, he looked up at Megavolt, taking note of the averted gaze and the way he could feel the other tense. The realization came with a worried pit settling in his stomach, how long had it slipped Megavolt's mind? Could he have done something to prevent it? He knew about Megavolt's memory problem, heck that's part of the reason he's always trying to get Megavolt to  _ stay _ in St. Canard Penitentiary so he's actually getting consistent medication. He just... hadn't thought Megavolt would ever forget himself.   


Darkwing let out a quiet exhale, "...Elmo Sputterspark."

Megavolt looked down at Darkwing taken back. "Huh?"

Darkwing met Megavolt's eyes, his expression unreadable. "Elmo Sputterspark, that's you," He repeated, accentuating his statement by tapping Megavolt's chest as if pointing at him.

"Oh." That was all Megavolt could say. His head started to hurt some. Something about that voice saying that name. Something about him carrying a white duck with green eyes in his arms. It was this familiarity that made him feel years  _ younger.  _

_ The autumn breeze as he walked past the uniform houses, down the street they had walked countless times. 'You always get hurt. You don't even know how to fight at least take some kinda class,' _ "You can't keep doing this Drakey." The mumbled words fell out as Megavolt's mind spun with strange feelings and small pieces of senses. Smells, sounds, feelings, emotions. All as if from bigger memories too fuzzy for him to grasp.

Maybe it was the blood loss clouding Darkwing’s thoughts that made him reply, or maybe it was the fact he'd done it so many times before that he just fell back into old habits. He repeated a line he'd said time and time again after his first failed attempts at being a hero.

"I can't just stand aside and watch injustice happen," Darkwing replied, his voice lacking the usual determination and bravado that came with the phrase- no he was way too weak for that. Then it hit him what he said. His breath hitched, he tensed in Megavolt's arms, and his eyes widened in surprise with poorly concealed alarm.

Megavolt’s heart beat sped up and his face grew rose red. He looked at Darkwing with the most confused face he could muster. What was that? What was this? He had no idea.

_ Shit. Shit. Shitshitshit. This is the worst possible time for this to happen- Why did I say that- What was I thinking?? _ Darkwing found himself unable to look away, still frozen in place as he frantically puzzled over how to escape the hole he just dug for himself. It took him a moment to find his voice. "....Um. I-... Blood loss," He stated lamely before internally groaning at himself.  _ THAT WAS THE BEST I COULD COME UP WITH? _

Megavolt frowned. Why did he suddenly feel so sad? So hopeless? He had no idea. It felt like heartbreak but with no good cause. Or at least not one he knew of. Instead, he just kept walking. They were getting close to the bike now.

Darkwing faltered at the way Megavolt frowned, feeling a tug of regret.  _ Why does the sight of Elmo frowning still hurt after all these years? _ He didn't know what to do. Neither option was fortuitous. He shouldn't tell him. It's not safe to tell him. He  _ knows _ that and yet? What if he never gets the chance again? They'll be back at each others' throats as soon as this nightmare was over- was this his only shot? For once Darkwing couldn't bring himself to be decisive, instead, he hunched his shoulders and cast his eyes downwards, letting them fall into silence as they approached the bike.

Once they got to the bike Megavolt helped Darkwing into the sidecar. Darkwing made a pained grunt as he was helped into the sidecar, the abrupt movement still agonizing.

"This might be a bad time to admit I don't have a license."

He'd been mid pulling his keys from his coat pocket to hand to Megavolt when the other spoke. He blinked, well not like they had any other option.    


"I'm not one to make a habit of violating traffic laws... but we'll just have to hope no one pulls us over then," He paused for a moment as he thought it over, "Wait, you at least know how to drive one of these right?"

"Uh," Megavolt climbed on the bike and looked at the controls. "Yeah totally."

That wasn't the most reassuring thing Megavolt could say but in Darkwing’s present state of 'Everything's a little bit blurry,' he suspected they'd fare much worse with him behind the wheel. Darkwing removed what was left of his singed and ripped hat and put on his helmet, Megavolt was already wearing that orange helmet thing of his so DW hoped that provided some protection.   


He passed Megavolt the keys, "Hold the clutch, turn the ignition, let it sit in neutral for a few seconds, then let go of the clutch," He instructed.

Megavolt did as instructed and in a few seconds, they were on their way.

Relieved the Ratcatcher took off with little difficulty, Darkwing slumped against the interior of the sidecar. His energy felt rapidly depleted and every few moments he'd force himself to blink back into focus and check to make sure the cape was secured over his side.

As the bike raced down the way as did Megavolt's thoughts. He stayed silent and continued towards a cell tower. He kept looking to the side at Darkwing with worrying and confused glances.

Driving over a bump in the road forced a strangled hiss from Darkwing, clutching the edge of the sidecar with white knuckles as the pain registered. At least with the sharp wave of pain coursing through him, he wasn't tempted to give in to the exhaustion tugging at him.

The hiss of pain made Megavolt look at the other with worry. He wasn't sure if he should speed up to get their faster or slow down to be safer. Either way, he kept going.

Darkwing's eyelids felt heavy, he gritted his teeth and focused on the pain in his side. His best bet was to keep himself coherent.    


" 'm not really one for small talk... But what were you doing at a FOWL base in the first place..?" He asked, speaking over the roar of the engine.

Megavolt paused a bit before answering. "They hired me to help with some kinda machine for them."

Darkwing glanced over at Megavolt, his eyebrow arched with intrigue. "I suppose that makes sense... electricity is your forte after all... Figures. Steelbeak  _ is _ known to hire those he can orchestrate to take the fall if a plan fails, leaving him safe to cut and run."

"Yeah, I really did get the tail end of that huh," the other grumbled a bit angrily.

Speaking to Megavolt was already helping to keep him alert and the exhaustion at bay.   


Darkwing shrugged, "Goes to show never trust FOWL. Or Steelbeak." He glanced over at Megavolt, a touch more sympathetic, "Well from my standpoint you came out of there pretty well. Considering you're not impaled and all." That was a weak attempt at humor.

Megavolt gave a soft breathy chuckle at that. "Yeah, good point."

Darkwing smiled weakly, at this point he would've been content to let them lapse into a comfortable silence but considering his injuries he didn't trust himself not to pass out. 

"... I can't think of any conversation points but I need to stay awake and keep talking."

Megavolt thought for a moment about what to say next. "Do you know anything else about Elmo?" He asked. If the other needs to keep talking then he can help Megavolt out.

Darkwing let out a breath, he'd been hoping to avoid that subject but.. the voice in his head who'd been insisting it was a bad idea seemed a lot quieter now.    


"... I do." He paused to gather his thoughts, articulating this would be weird even without blood loss. He took note of the way Megavolt seemed to refer to Elmo separately.    


"... He attended St. Canard High. And really likes video games, particularly those old Whiffleboy console games- or at least he did back then... He's a genius, just super smart in anything science or math related- heck he knew more about electrical stuff than the high school janitor.." Darkwing's voice took a softer tone, nostalgia in his expression as he trailed off.

Megavolt looked down at Darkwing. That sounded... a lot more personal than just a detective... "Did you.. know him?"

Darkwing swallowed thickly, he looked down at the cape staunching his wound to avoid Megavolt's gaze, the fabric thoroughly soaked in blood at this point. He knew he should deny it, but between the fog obscuring his more rational thoughts and the shard in his side, he couldn't bring himself to.   


"... Yeah. Yeah, I did."

"Did he-" Megavolt stopped and let out a breath. "Did I know you?"

Darkwing let out a weary exhale before he nodded wordlessly.

"Is that why it felt familiar?"

Darkwing looked back up at Megavolt, attempting the gauge the other's reaction, "Probably, yes."

Megavolt’s eyes were focused on the road but they were puzzled and unsure. He stayed silent for a moment. "I felt worried. But also proud. And something else but I can't tell," he admitted. "I can't remember it, the actual moment, but I think I remember how I felt."

Darkwing quickly looked back down, grateful for his mask that mostly obscured the way his face reddened. He pretended to look very interested in his hands, dried blood still matting the feathers on the one.   


"We um..." He took a breath, " We knew each other growing up.. and were best friends in high school. I would, ah, pull dumb stunts like this back then too.."

"I-" Megavolt kept his eyes on the road. If his hands weren't gripping the handles so hard he might have started to fidget anxiously. "I want to remember." It was soft but as long as Darkwing was listening he would hear it. 

Darkwing bit the inside of his beak, "... I want that too.." He mumbled under his breath.   


He looked up as they came to a halt, pressing a hand to his side, the cape was soaked through at this point. They finally arrived near the phone tower and Megavolt started to slow down. "We uh, we're here." As much as talking served to keep Darkwing coherent he knew before long it wouldn't be enough to keep him conscious.   


Darkwing pulled out his phone and breathed a shaky sigh of relief as he saw it indeed had service. There was a text from Launchpad but he ignored it in favor of calling, he pressed the number on speed dial and silently waiting for an answer.

Megavolt got off the bike and leaned on it to stretch his legs some. The bike wasn't very comfortable on his tail. He looked down at his hand. Elmo. It was actually a kinda strange name. But it felt familiar. As if he were to look in a mirror and see an Elmo. He put his hands up to his goggles. He hesitated. Very gently he pulled them off. He turned them around and looked at his reflection in their lenses. The patches of singed fur along with the constant recurring bald spots from where his electricity had burnt off fur completely. The mangled hairs and whiskers that were never groomed or taken care of. That anxious and lost look in his eyes.

Was this Elmo? Was Elmo still in there somewhere? If Megavolt tried hard enough could he really be that again? Darkwing talked so highly of the other but all Megavolt saw was a criminal. How could anyone see anything else?

Darkwing’s phone went to voicemail, Launchpad's cheery prerecorded voice quietly filtered through the speakers. He frowned and called a second time. Nothing, the same voicemail as before. His heart was beginning to thump slightly erratically in his chest, this was the worst possible time to miss a phone call.    


He recalled the text notification he'd seen and clicked on it. His heart sank. This was sent hours ago and had only just been delivered. Launchpad was flying his boss Scrooge McDuck somewhere in South America.   


"Shit." 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here ya go chapter two

"Shit," He muttered under his breath.

"Huh?" Megavolt looked back at Darkwing. His goggles were still in his hand. "What's wrong?"

Darkwing blinked, momentarily stunned by the sight of Megavolt without his goggles. He recovered instantly, shaking his head. "Its- it's fine. I just have to call someone else." He put away his phone and pulled out a different device around the same size.

"Oh okay." Megavolt moved to put the goggles back on but paused. He decided against it. Instead, he dropped them to the ground and took off his helmet. He ran a hand through the fur on his head. Still tangled and a mess.

Darkwing paused his typing on the SHUSH Communicator to watch what Megavolt was doing with confusion.  _ No time to puzzle over right now. Hello, forget the chunk of metal in your side? _ He raised the communicator to his ear once he finished typing to receive instructions.

Elmo shoved his helmet into one of the side bags on the bike along with his battery pack and gloves. He rubbed his hands together a bit anxiously as he waited for Darkwing. 

Darkwing was frankly too out of it to deduce what Elmo was doing, directing his attention to the coordinates sent to him over the device. The nearest secure SHUSH location that he could get medical attention at was miles down the road they were on, his communicator was supposed to alert him when they came five miles of it and guide him from there.

"S-so what's the plan?" Elmo asked a bit nervous. 

Darkwing scrubbed at his forehead willing himself to be articulate despite the fog in his head, "Well LP is flying for his employer and texted me about it hours ago but thanks to FOWL insisting on having bases in the middle of  _ nowhere _ I didn't get it until now." There's definitely a teensy bit of frustration there. Fuck FOWL.   


"So... I contacted someone else on this," He said, holding up his communicator before pocketing it, "There's a secure place where I can get medical attention about 30 miles from here. My comm will alert me when we get close."

Elmo nodded and climbed back on the bike. "Y-you can make it 30 miles right?" He asked a bit worriedly.

Darkwing sighed, he wasn't so sure about that himself, his head was fuzzy and his side wasn't going to stop fiercely hurting any time soon.   


He forced a somewhat confident smile onto his face, "Looks like I'll have to." Not like they have much of a choice considering the utter lack of civilization beyond the paved road.

Elmo nodded and started the bike back up, quickly getting back on the road and starting down.

Darkwing curled up in the sidecar in an effort to minimize any jostling of his wound that might occur. He did a doubletake upon noticing Elmo's lack of helmet and battery pack- it took him far longer than he'd like to realize the change.   


"You took your equipment off," He commented, intrigue in his voice.

"O-oh yeah uh. I just thought it would be best if M-Megavolt wasn't the one to show up with you to wherever it is we're going." This wasn't a complete lie. But also at the moment, he didn't feel like being Megavolt. He didn't feel like being this alternate identity he'd been stuck in for so many years. His memory worsening as time passed, only furthering his criminal life.

Darkwing nodded, "That's smart. I doubt they'd take kindly to that, truce or not."  _ He _ should've thought of that, and yet? His logic remained impaired.

"So," Elmo started. "We were close then? In school?" He paused. "Did we ever uh," god this was gonna sound weird but that feeling... "Did we ever date?"

Darkwing processed what Elmo meant and lurched forward in surprise, his side sending a shock of agony up his body in protest. His beak screwed up in pain as he quietly exhaled trying to downplay his reaction. He smoothed out his features and attempted to look casual, awkwardly clearing his throat and praying the blush on his face wasn't visible.   


"Oh! Um. Well, no, no we did not... I never acted on my uh...." He then realized what he was saying and trailed off, purposefully looking in the other direction.  _ I am the worst. This is the worst. I'm going to die before I even get the chance to bleed out. _

Elmo's thoughts screeched to a halt. "You mean you...?"

Darkwing was silently having a crisis and internally berating himself for being a _dumb_ _idiot_ who can't get his priorities straight. _Can I blame this on blood loss? I should blame this on blood loss._ He let out a quiet but painfully awkward laugh, still incapable of looking at Elmo directly.   


"I- that's- Sorry about that um, I shouldn't have said that aloud. Slipped out," He stammered out.   


"I-" Elmo sighed. He had to keep his eyes on the road or he was gonna cause a fucking wreck. "I don't even remember your name and I doubt you're going to tell me. Either way I.. I don't know nevermind."   


Darkwing was going to regret all of this interaction after he got stitches- and maybe a blood transfusion because  _ yeesh _ his vision keeps going fuzzy and his head has been hazy for a while now. He sighed, he can't reveal his identity. It wasn't safe, blood loss or not he  _ knew _ that.   


"What?" Darkwing prompted, finally bringing himself to look over at Megavolt after embarrassing himself like that.

_ "You can't keep doing this Drakey," Elmo mumbled.  _ _  
_

_ "I can't just stand aside and watch injustice happen!" Came the boisterous reply. _ _  
_

_ Elmo's heart fluttered at the words. They were so ridiculous and so dorky. They were so Drake. _   


Elmo frowned. "I uh.." he cleared his throat. "I think Elmo or uh- I think I had a crush back then."

Darkwing went blank, he blinked once and then twice, completely dumbfounded by Elmo's admission. He put a hand to his beak to hide the way his face flushed without his volition, his expression still looking stunned. It never occurred to him that all those years ago Elmo had similar feelings, he had just treated the crush as a pesky inconvenient thing, never to be mentioned aloud lest he ruin his friendship.     


" _ Oh? _ " Darkwing was unable to keep the surprise out of his voice after he remembered speaking was a thing.

Elmo's face flushed brightly. "Ah- that- this probably isn't the best time to be talking about this sort of thing... Sorry."

Darkwing attempted to smile but it came across more as a pained grimace, "Probably, but if it wasn't for how out of it I am, I never would've had the courage to talk to you about this... And I've wanted to- since I found out at the reunion.." The last part he said a touch softer, a bit more contemplative. He blinked his vision back into focus that had begun to grow hazy again.

"The-" that's right. The class reunion. Elmo.. vaguely remembered going to that.. "oh yeah," he mumbled to himself. "I-is that when you figured out who I was?"

Darkwing nodded, "Well a day or two before- It reminded me to look at my old yearbook and I noticed the similarities.." He replied, his words were slowly but surely becoming less and less eloquent.

Elmo nodded as he drove. He didn't reply for a moment. "Guess you weren't too pleased to see what had become of your old friend huh," he mumbled sadly.

It took Darkwing a moment to process the question and respond, he shook his head.   


"No- I mean. Well, I don't condone criminal behavior obviously- but... I was more shocked I guess... That I hadn't realized it sooner, that I hadn't done anything about it, that I left when you clearly could've used some support-... I dunno," He fumbled for his words, taking was growing increasingly difficult as he grew less coherent.

"And now?" Elmo asked. He wasn't sure exactly what he was asking only that he so desperately wanted to know.

Darkwing hesitated, wracking his brain for a way to respond that wouldn't tarnish the little progress they made today. How can he properly articulate his complicated feelings on the matter? _Jeez, I'm dizzy._   


"...Now? Now I'm not really sure... I'm not particularly...  _ happy _ that you're a villain, but I adamantly refuse to believe you're a bad person. That- today, continues to show that."

"Do you still- I mean I think I-" Elmo stopped and forced himself to look at the road. "Wait no we shouldn't have this kinda conversation right now. Y-you're bleeding out and I'm trying to drive."

Darkwing blinked, not quite processing what Elmo had been attempting to say in his disoriented state. He merely nodded, "Um, right. That's... probably smart."   
He fell into silence for a few moments before looking back up, his head swam and his eyelids were still heavy. "... I don't want to go back to the way things were. Between us- adversaries at each others' throats all the time... but I'm aware it's inevitable," He mumbled.

"I don't want that either.," Elmo mumbled. "I- Megavolt is all I have. All I've  _ had _ for so long I-" his knuckles went white as he gripped the handles sighter more with a frown.

Darkwing's expression became one of concern and empathy. He discreetly tugged at the feathers on his arm, the action forcing himself somewhat coherent again,  _ Stay conscious, Darkwing _ . He let out an exhale and gently put a reassuring hand on Elmo's back, ever so careful not to distract the other from driving while still providing some comfort.   


"...Hey, we can-... We can figure something out. Okay..?" Darkwing's words had a slight slur to them but the sentiment was still there.

Could they? Could Elmo give up crime just like that?  _ Would _ he? He really wasn't sure... instead he just gave a nod and kept going.

Darkwing offered a weak smile in Elmo's direction, not entirely sure if the other even saw it. He removed his hand, using it to prop himself up, not trusting his neck to support his head anymore. He felt clammy and was certain the only reason his side wasn't in excruciating pain was because of how much blood he'd lost.  _ C'mon... just a bit longer. If you pass out Elmo's going to freak… _

After a couple minutes or so of silence the beeping of Darkwing's communicator startled him out of his daze, he blinked rapidly willing his vision to clear. With shaky hands he fished out the communicator, squinting as he read the blurry letters on the screen.   


".... Mm... We're-... We're less than five miles... " Darkwing forced out. In the distance, a small building came into view.

Elmo gave a worried glance to Darkwing. He sped up as the building came into view. He needed to get there as soon as he could.

As they got closer the building appeared to be a standard gas station, if it wasn't for the communicator in his hands directly pointing to it Darkwing would suspect they had the wrong place. He huffed, rubbing at his temples as he attempted to stay awake.    


"Why does every SHUSH front look like a gas station..." He mumbled to himself. He absolutely didn't mean to say that aloud but he was far too out of it to notice his misstep.

Once they arrived Elmo parted the bike and moved to gently help Darkwing out the sidecar. He kept the other close in his arms and started quickly towards the door.

Darkwing didn't even have the strength to acknowledge the spike of pain that came with being lifted, instead, he merely murmured something unintelligible under his breath. He was practically limp in Elmo's arms, his head resting on the other's chest. 

Elmo felt his heart race. This was bad. He’s never seen Darkwing so out of it before. He really hoped this wasn’t actually a shitty run-down gas station...   


A panel on the door flashed a red light when they approached it, and Darkwing weakly pressed the communicator to it for the panel to scan. There was a beep accompanied by a green flash and the door unlocked.

Elmo pushed the door open with his shoulder and walked them in. He looked around. "H-hello?" He called out. It was dark and all he saw was a stairway to a door. 

Elmo gently began his descent down. He pushed open to reveal a brightly lit medical clinic. The moment the workers saw Elmo they rushed to him with a gurney. They grabbed Darkwing and rushed him to the back. 

 

Once Darkwing was stable they allowed Elmo into his room. The other was still asleep, his mask on the table beside him. Elmo stayed in the chair next to Darkwing's bed. He didn't look at the other at all, too unnerved by how still he looked. After a while, he laid his head in his arms on the bed. A while after that he drifted into a light nap.

Some more time passed and before long Darkwing began to stir. His hand twitched and his brow furrowed slightly as he slowly began to regain consciousness. The almost complete absence of pain was what he noticed first, along with the medication-induced haze that accompanied it. His side still felt a dull ache despite the morphine, but it was far less intense than the sharp excruciating pain from earlier. A low groan escaped him as he became more coherent.

The other movement and noise were brought to rouse Elmo himself. He blinked awake and sat up a bit more, taking in his surroundings again.

Darkwing kept still for a moment as if silently gauging whether he was in a hostile environment or not. He recalled Megavolt finding him and driving him to the SHUSH base, although not much else. With the realization, he was at SHUSH his breathing relaxed and he blearily forced open his eyes, squinting at the bright fluorescent lighting. He then became aware of the presence of someone else in the room, turning to look at them.

Elmo looked up at Darkwing. His mask.. it was off. Those familiar green eyes easier to see now along with the rest of his face. They really did know each other.. "you're awake," he said. Why did he say that? That's such a dumb thing to say. "How uh... how do you feel?"

Darkwing locked eyes with Elmo and became distinctly aware of the lack of a familiar fabric on his face. His hand flew to his face as if to verify the mask was in fact gone, his heart already beginning to thud in his chest. He broke his gaze with Elmo, trying to downplay the instinctive spike of paranoia shooting through him. Darkwing glanced to the side and saw the mask laying on a nightstand along with whatever clothing and equipment of his that could be salvaged. He retrieved it and wasn't able to breathe easy until it was securely tied back on his face. He then processed Elmo's question, awkwardly itching at the back of his neck, embarrassed after his anxious display.   


"Um. Yeah, yeah I'm awake," Darkwing paused, "I'm feeling a bit better, they must have me on the good stuff 'cause I can barely feel the pain in my side."

Elmo sat up in his chair fully. "That's good," he nodded. He was a bit disappointed the other had put his mask back on but didn't say anything about it.

Darkwing’s somewhat frantic retrieval of his mask wasn't anything against Elmo, rather his own subconscious worries that came with being a hero. Darkwing nodded, it  _ was _ a relief to be able to breathe without pain accompanying it.    


"You uh... you stayed. How long have I been out?" His voice held a hint of surprise that Elmo had chosen to wait, a part of him had assumed the other would be long gone by now.  _ He probably still needs a ride. Yeah... that's gotta be it. _

"A few hours," Elmo replied. "I uh it felt kinda wrong to leave you I guess," he mumbled.

Darkwing rubbed the sleepiness out of his eyes, he wasn't very successful considering the medication was mainly to blame for his exhaustion.  _ Several hours, huh. I'll have to text LP and let him know I'm not dead.  _ He blinked at Elmo's reply, his expression softening a tad.   


"Right. Thank you... for um, y'know, everything."

Elmo's face flushed some. He looked down at his hands and gave a nod. "It was nothing. I couldn't just ya know leave you out there."

Darkwing glanced over at the IV in his vein as he spoke, "I mean you could've, very easily in fact. But you didn't. So thanks..." He was trying to remember what all they had discussed before he lost consciousness, but most of it was fuzzy. Something about high school. 

"What did I miss while I was out?"

"Nothing really," Elmo shrugged. "They made me sign a confidentiality thing. I'm pretty sure if I break it they'll come kill me."

Darkwing let out a laugh which made his side distantly ache, he shook his head with an amused smile. "Yeah, they might actually, who knows?" He's mostly joking, mostly.

"Yeah," Elmo mumbled with a nod. The joke was funny but his mind was elsewhere.

Darkwing took notice of the lack of reaction and faltered. Despite the years, seeing Elmo like this still managed to evoke something akin to concern.   


He awkwardly cleared his throat, "So... What's up?" That was as close to  _ Are you okay? _ in Darkwing Speak that he could manage.

"I think I started to remember some stuff. Not uh not much. Just some," Elmo mumbled. "It's all fuzzy."

Darkwing nodded, he probably shouldn't get his hopes up. He wasn't even sure what he was hoping for. What do they do from here on? What about if Elmo remembers his identity? He subconsciously picked at the bandage wrapped around his side, "Like what? ...If you don't mind my asking that is."

"I remember having the first aid kit." Elmo looked down to the floor. "I remember playing video games into all hours of the night." His face softened. "I remember having emotions I didn't understand." His brows furrowed. "I remember feeling alone and confused. Then... nothing."

The expression on Darkwing's face changed with each mention of a memory. First, the somewhat sheepish look as he remembered the way Elmo always disapproved of him getting into fights. Then a nostalgic smile at the mention of their long video game sessions. His expression softened into something unreadable as he pondered what might be different if he had been outright with his feelings all those years ago. And finally a weary exhale that accompanied a despondent and  _ guilty _ gaze.   


Darkwing looked downward, feeling the texture of the bandage on his wound, he took a somewhat shaky breath. "After graduation... I moved out of my parents as fast as possible. I had the opportunity to train and become a hero, so I left. I didn't really give you a proper goodbye aside from a letter.."

"Oh," Elmo mumbled. "I don't remember that."

Darkwing bit the inside of his beak, "I didn't... I didn't particularly have a good relationship with my parents- or anyone really in my life at that point aside from you."

"Is that why you left?"

Darkwing shrugged noncommittally, avoiding Elmo's gaze which answered that question for him. "Partially, yes... But after stopping you at the senior prom I realized I was capable of being a hero and that gave me an incentive to leave and pursue that."

"Oh," Elmo mumbled. Well, at least the other followed his dreams.

Darkwing couldn't ignore the way guilt gnawed at him. Up until the reunion he hadn't thought much about how his leaving and absence had possibly affected Elmo. He was a selfish person by nature and upon leaving he hadn't expected anyone including Elmo to particularly care.    


"That um... wasn't exactly fair to you. Leaving things the way I did... cutting you off like the rest of the people in my life," Darkwing admitted, his eyes still downcast.

"It- it's fine," Elmo said. "I didn't exactly make good life choices either." He paused. "Though I can't say I fully regret it."

Darkwing was once again reminded that his same best friend and 'unrequited' crush from his high school days was also a supervillain he fought on a regular basis. He nodded and finally looked back up to Elmo.   


"That's where we differ I suppose," He replied not unkindly, for once keeping the judgmental tone that usually came with discussing criminal exploits out of his voice.

"They had it coming." Who and for what, Elmo was unsure. But the rage he felt was there and he knew there must have been a good reason.

Darkwing grimaced empathetically, he could easily infer Elmo's rage was directed at the entire student body. As much as he shared that bitter resentment he'd rather avoid the ethical debate of taking revenge on their former classmates.  _ Is it inconsiderate to force a subject change? Fuck it I'm on too much morphine to properly care. _ _  
_

"... Can I ask what we discussed that last thirty minutes or so on our way here? Most of its.. pretty hazy."

"Oh," Elmo looked up at Darkwing. "We were mostly talking about um well us I guess."

Darkwing blinked, "Oh." He had absolutely no idea what that implied but he wasn't sure if he should ask for elaboration.

Elmo sighed. "I think I still have um well you know," he cleared his throat awkwardly. "B-but either way I don't think I can give up Megavolt. It- it's really all I have now. And it's not like I remember enough about Elmo to fall back to it."

Darkwing blinked again, he was... very clearly missing something here and the warm haze that came with the drip attached to his vein did not help.  _ Still have what??  _ He'd probably be able to make the connection were he more coherent but for now he was in the dark.    


He absentmindedly itched at the bandages on his side, "... I can respect that, I might not approve of your villainous exploits or condone them... But I understand why you do what you do."   


Darkwing exhaled and rubbed at his forehead as if to clear his head. "I'll be honest have no idea what you mean by  _ you know _ , I'm on a lot of pain killers.. my deductive reasoning isn't really in tiptop shape," He admitted with a weak laugh.

Elmo looked at Darkwing then looked away. He rubbed his hand on the back of his neck, scratching softly at a patch of fur. "Y-you know. What we were talking about before we got here. A-about f-feelings and stuff," he mumbled the last part. It was clear from his stance and his voice that he wasn't use to being open about this sort of thing.

Darkwing blinked again as Elmo spoke, slowly processing the information, he felt like he was blinking a lot. Was that just him noticing that?  _ Is there something in my eyes? Or is it because I can't really move much without jostling my stitches? _ He was shaken out of his dazed blinking over analyzation when it dawned on him what Elmo meant.   


"Oh- Right, sorry that just didn't clue in for me-  _ oh. _ " He fumbled for his words, "I uh- I suppose mine never went away. I just... kind of stopped thinking about it like  _ out of sight out of mind.  _ Until the reunion. When I became... well aware of just how inaccurate that statement was."

Elmo looked back at him. This felt wrong. Talking to the mask. When he knew that it was the man behind it he felt so oddly strong for. "C-can you take off your mask? I- it's just- I don't want to have this conversation with Darkwing Duck."

Darkwing faltered upon hearing Elmo's request. For a moment despite the mask obscuring most of his features, the fear and paranoia that'd been instilled in him from years of being a hero were clearly visible. He bit the inside of his beak,  _ Elmo's already seen me without the mask... He saved my life, I'd be dead in the desert by now if it wasn't for him. I trust him. I  _ **_care_ ** _ about him. _

After a tense moment of hesitation he gave a small nod, "... Yeah. I can-... I can do that." His fingers brushed against the frantically tied knot from earlier and with shaking hands he undid it, pulling the mask free from his face.

When the mask came off Elmo felt more at ease. He was no longer looking in the face of his enemy but of his friend. A friend he might not fully remember but still felt strongly for. "Mine never went away either I just.. I just forgot," he mumbled. Though now he wasn't looking away from the other as much. Instead looking in his eyes or at his face. As if afraid to forget again.

Drake couldn't bring himself to look away from Elmo, without the other's classic googles and helmet attire he looked even more striking and similar to the man he was once so close to. His expression softened a tad as Elmo spoke, swallowing as if his throat felt drier the longer they maintained eye contact.    


It took him a moment of silence before he was capable of speaking, "In my uh-... in my letter, I wrote to you... I covered a bit of the basics of how I felt but I always regretted never properly elaborating..." He admitted quietly.

Elmo nodded. He didn't reply. He didn't know how to. He was still full of confusion and felt as if a large chunk of time in his mind was missing. "What now?" He asked.

Drake picked at one of the lesser scrapes on his arm from the explosion absentmindedly, "I um... don't know. This isn't exactly precedented. I could... I could tell you a bit more about us? If you wanted?"

Interest sparked in Elmo's eyes. "Y-yeah. I would like that."

A hint of a smile made its way on Drake's beak, "We met at a really young age, our parents used to set up playdates or something. But we started getting close I think seventh, maybe eighth grade," He began to explain, a nostalgic expression on his face.

Elmo sat and listened. It was wild to him that they had known each other at such a young age and yet he remembered none of it. Drake mentioned a few fond middle school memories he could recall off the top of his head, it had... been a while since he'd thought back to all of this. It surprised him a bit how easily it was for him to remember, perhaps because Elmo was the only aspect of his life back then that was worth remembering.

Elmo's smile at the memories was soft but also a bit sad. He was sad he couldn't remember all of it but it felt nice to hear them. To be reminded. With each memory came some kind of emotion that felt like it was shoved to the back of his mind finally crawling back out.

Drake paused his rambling as if to gauge Elmo's reaction, uncertain if the information was still welcome. He arched an eyebrow with a half smile, "Do you.. do you want me to keep going?"

"Huh?" Elmo mumbled pulled out of his own thoughts. "Oh, y-yeah I do. I um I like it. Being reminded of it all."

Drake nodded, "Alright."    


He remembered the action that Elmo had deemed familiar that resulted in their entire discussion and the memories attached to it. "In high school, I convinced myself that I was capable of putting a stop to any sort of injustice. Every time someone tried to mess with anyone I'd stir up trouble and challenge them. Only problem was I wasn't that great at fighting," He said it with a light laugh as if getting the snot beaten out of him was only something minorly embarrassing.   


"I knew maybe two moves that someone taught me. So you always wound up carrying me back to your place and bandaging me up so my parents wouldn't find out and go nuts."

Elmo couldn't help the chuckle that came out. "That checks out," he mumbled. It seemed like something the man before him would do. No wonder it felt so familiar.

Drake smiled and shook his head, looking amused. "Can't say those were my finest moments but I don't regret them for a second," He replied, especially since the person he'd stepped in to protect was Elmo more often than not.

"Guess somethings never really change huh?" Elmo smiled gently.

Drake was reminded of the irony there considering he's literally in a SHUSH clinic right now recovering. He looked back up at Elmo, "I suppose they don't," He replied, a hint of warmth in his voice.

"Years later and I'm still dragging you out of danger." That's when it clicked. "Jesus christ did you  _ really _ set off an explosive  _ that close to yourself _ !" He hissed at the others idiocy.

Drake threw up his hands in frustration, "I didn't  _ know _ it was going to explode! Dr. Bellum  _ neglected _ to mention that when she gave it to me- I thought it was a non-explosive EMP!" He protested.

"Jesus Christ Drake you could have died!" Wait, who? Elmo stopped for a second. Drake? A confused look found its way on his face as he tried to pull at the string the name seemed to be connected to in his mind.

Drake had opened his beak to retort only to come to a sudden halt when he processed Elmo had said his name. He closed his mouth and caught sight of the confused expression on the other's face. Despite his best efforts, he still couldn't help but feel the spike of anxiety each time Elmo learned something prevalent that could very easily be used against him. Drake bit the inside of his beak, keeping silent as he somewhat warily watched Elmo puzzle over it.  _ Do I confirm his suspicions? _ He nervously waited and see if Elmo said anything more.

"Who-"  _ is Drake _ ,  _ are you _ , two questions that if Elmo thought hard enough would answer each other. Yet both questions felt inappropriate to ask.

Drake exhaled, affixing his eyes on the IV in his arm, searching for a distraction.  _ How easy would it be to find out my last name and address with just the first alone? There's plenty of Drake Mallard's out there, I'm sure of it, but Launchpad's address is listed as mine and that's far too many coincidences... _ But at the same time, Elmo already knew- it was just buried deep in his head somewhere. He'd endangered his identity the moment he admitted he knew anything about Megavolt's civilian identity, and he can't honestly say he regrets it.   


Drake resisted the urge to tug at his feathers, an old nervous habit, instead, he gripped the hospital bed railing tightly. "....That's me," He admitted under his breath.

It was as if that confirmation was all that was needed for things to click. It wasn't like on tv. His memories didn't come back in a painful sudden wave. Instead, Elmo’s body relaxed. He smiled. He didn't remember Drake. But he remembered loving Drake. He remembered missing Drake. And now Drake was here.

Drake blinked as if surprised by Elmo's lack of a reaction. Well, there was a reaction, he smiled and seemed calmer, it just hadn't been the reaction Drake had been bracing for. Slowly but surely he untensed (much to the relief of his stitches) and his iron-like grip on the railing loosened.   


"Um," He began, unsure what to say but feeling like something  _ needed _ to be said.

Elmo looked up at Drake smiling. "It's good to see you again. I missed you."

_ Oh. _ Drake's confused disbelief softened into a fond expression, he returned Elmo's smile with a faint but warm one of his own. He took a breath as if to steel himself from the surge of emotion that befell him with merely a few words from Elmo.   


He nodded, "Yeah.. yeah it is.. I missed you too."

Elmo cleared his throat. "You told me about our past but what's going on now?" He asked, curious to how his friend had grown. 

The paranoid part of Drake’s brain that constantly pestered him with anxieties and distrust wondered yet again if it was safe to disclose this information. But the rest of him cared far too much about Elmo to let him pass up the chance to catch up.   


"As in going on in my life?" Drake asked. "Well... I have a daughter, and I love her more than life itself."

Elmo smiled at that. "What's she like?" Maybe it was odd for him to suddenly become so calm, so friendly. But this type of domesticity was something he hadn't been a part of in so long. Even in such an odd situation that he was faced with.

Drake never missed a chance to gush about his daughter, his beak split into a smile.    


"She's the greatest. Most spirited girl I ever met, and incredibly clever too. She's excellent at all things sports, particularly hockey and archery. I have a shelf dedicated to her trophies and before long I'm going to need to install another one because we're running out of room. She's just as stubborn as me, if not more, and its the most wonderful headache inducing thing in the world."   


He leaned over to reach his phone on the nightstand, ignoring the dull throb that accompanied moving, "I have this one picture of her, LP, and I after her team won the soccer championship, let me find it."

Elmo chuckled. He wasn’t sure if the Drake he knew was a father-type kind of guy or not, but the Drake before him definitely was. "You seem really happy. She seems like she can give you a run for your money huh," he laughed.

Drake chuckled, "Oh you know it. She's always got something up her sleeve." The fond tone in his voice made it clear just how much he adored his daughter along with her devious deeds.   


He pulled up the photo and held out his phone for Elmo to look, he had countless ones but that was a personal favorite. Possibly because Gosalyn had climbed her way onto LP's shoulders and was mid a victorious yell when the camera clicked, Launchpad was plugging his ears with laughter in his eyes, and Drake had been holding her trophy for her while looking fondly exasperated.

Elmo recognized her. The little girl who would be around many times with Darkwing and Launchpad. He had always been curious as to who she was. Elmo smiled at the picture. "I'm happy for you," he said smiling back up at Drake.

Drake's expression softened and he returned Elmo's smile with one of his own.   


"Thank you... For the longest time, I wasn't the most adjusted person,"  _ Understatement of the century, _ "Gos and LP gave me the incentive to get my act together."

"I'm glad," Elmo said honestly. "They seem like nice people. And they very clearly mean a lot to you."

Drake nodded, a warm look in his eyes, "They are. And they do."   


He let out an exhale, "You... you mean a lot to me too," He quietly added. His face was slightly flushed, just barely visible over his feathers.

Elmo's cheeks grew rosy. His heartbeat was rapid with a mix of emotions. "Y-you mean a lot to me as well." He gently with only some hesitation rested his hand atop Drake's. He gave the other time to pull away before moving to take his hand into his own.

Maybe it was the near-death experience, the pain medication in his system, the confrontation of his feelings, or the fact his best friend since childhood was looking at him with  _ recognition _ for the first time in far too long, but the last thing Drake wanted to do was pull away.    


He intertwined his hand with Elmo's. With his other hand, he let it gently brush against Elmo's cheek, cupping the other's face with utmost care. He didn't dare speak, almost certain that if he did the moment would be over and slip through his grasp, instead he locked eyes with Elmo seeking confirmation if this was okay or not.

Elmo was very very okay with this. His eyes grew hopeful and soft. For the smallest moment, he feared that he was reading this situation all wrong. But in reality how else was one supposed to read it? He put his free hand atop Drake's as confirmation.

Drake faltered for a half second at the sight of Elmo's expression when the other's hand rested on top of his as if reminded this was very real in a wonderfully intimidating way. His heart thudded in his chest and before he could lose his nerve he pressed his beak to Elmo's mouth, pulling the other into a kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> come find me on my tumblrs darkwing-duckfuck and royaldorkash. you can also find my friend on his tumblrs transdarkwingduck and cryptidturtle


End file.
